"I have a dream."
Ryuzaki Makoto's voice was broadcast through countless live streams, reaching the entire Toaru region and the entire Sakura Country.
"I dream that one day, all men will be created equal."
"I dream that one day, on this ruin known as the nameless street, abandoned children will be able to sit at the same table as those children sitting in bright classrooms, enjoying the sunshine and knowledge together."
"I dream that one day, even this corner, filled with discrimination and oppression and shrouded in darkness, will become an oasis of freedom and justice, where every soul will be respected."
"I dream that one day my fellow countrymen, who are called 'devil' and 'ghost', will be able to live with dignity in a city where they are judged not by their birth but by their character."
"I have a dream today!"
"I dream that one day, Huya will be transformed, even though countless laws and prejudices still keep them out. One day, every man, woman and child here will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with all the citizens and build our home together!"
"I have a dream today!"
"I dream that one day the gloom of nameless streets will be dispelled, the children's dilapidated shacks will be replaced by brand-new schools, the bumpy and muddy roads will become wide and smooth roads, and the holy light of hope will be revealed here, shining brightly on the world!"
As Ryuzaki Makoto spoke one powerful and resounding sentence after another, the atmosphere at the scene reached its peak.
Standing in the crowd, reporter Nana Suzuki had long forgotten her duty as an interviewer.
Her fists were clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, and her eyes were filled with hot tears.
Previously, she felt fear and unease at Ryuzaki Makoto's unbridled remarks, but now she was filled with unparalleled emotion and shock.
As a journalist, she felt an unprecedented surge of emotion to witness, in this materialistic and greedy era, such a pure and great person raising his voice for tens of thousands of ordinary people.
She felt immensely proud to have witnessed and recorded this momentous occasion that would be etched in history.
At this point, the scene no longer involves just one media outlet.
Even before the tens of thousands of people knelt down on the nameless street, the media from all of Toaru, and even the entire country of Sakura, swarmed over like sharks smelling blood.
The reason is simple: the viewership and ratings have exploded!
These news media outlets, which broadcast the live, practically monopolized the audience during this prime time slot.
The TV station's phone lines were overwhelmed with calls, and the online streaming platform's servers nearly crashed. How could they possibly let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by?
This resulted in Ryuzaki Makoto's impromptu speech being presented in its entirety to the entire nation through countless shots.
Just then, a little girl, about five or six years old, timidly stood up from the kneeling crowd.
She walked up to Ryuzaki Makoto, tilted her dirty little face up, and asked in a clear but slightly trembling voice:
"Mr. Ryuzaki, what you've said... can we really have it?"
Looking at the little girl in front of him, who was covered in dirt but had incredibly clear eyes, Ryuzaki Makoto's grief and indignation instantly turned into endless tenderness.
He bent down and gently picked her up.
Then, holding the child who symbolized the future of Nameless Street, he slowly turned around and faced the army and the countless news media again. His voice became louder and more determined than ever before!
"I believe that as long as we all unite on Nameless Street, we can change our destiny!"
"I believe that as long as our voices can be heard, the world will not turn a blind eye to us!"
"I believe that as long as we never give up, we will surely usher in our own light!"
After he finished speaking, Ryuzaki Makoto's voice became even louder, filled with an undeniable power!
"I, Ryuzaki Shin, hereby formally petition the government! I request the cancellation of the casino construction plan in the nameless street and that the development and construction rights of the nameless street be handed over to me!"
"I promise to build a complete business ecosystem on Wuming Street, integrating catering, entertainment, and retail!"
"At that time, this place will provide tens of thousands of jobs, which can completely solve the employment problem for all residents of Wuming Street!"
"To safeguard the most basic living rights of the residents of Wuming Street, I will also build a low-cost medical center, affordable apartments, and free schools here at my own expense to ensure their health, housing, and the right of their next generation to receive education!"
In front of countless news media, Ryuzaki Makoto clearly stated his ultimate goal, word by word.
After saying these words, Junichi Watanabe, who was in the crowd, could no longer hold on and stumbled back several steps.
Fortunately, his secretary caught him in time, preventing him from collapsing to the ground.
His face was ashen, his lips trembled incessantly, and he knew it was all over.
As a so-called democratic country, the Japanese government official knew better than anyone that under such immense public pressure, any proposal passed by the so-called parliament would become worthless tomorrow.
It's possible that the upper echelons are already in an uproar, urgently discussing how to quell this storm.
Junichi Watanabe's worries soon became a reality.
A rapid ringtone suddenly went off in his pocket.
Junichi Watanabe didn't even dare to look at his phone screen to see who was calling.
His hands trembled as he pulled out his phone and handed it to his secretary, his voice trembling as he said:
"Quick...quick, check...who called?"
The secretary glanced at her phone screen, and the color drained from her face instantly.
"It's...it's the mayor calling..."
Junichi Watanabe swallowed hard, but finally pressed the answer button.
When the call connected, the expected outburst of anger did not occur.
Neither of them spoke on the phone; the silence was terrifying.
After a while, the mayor's cold, emotionless voice finally came through.
"Junichi Watanabe, I think you must have a lot to say to me right now."
Junichi Watanabe was almost in tears, and he quickly said:
"Your Excellency Mayor, please allow me to explain..."
The mayor rudely interrupted him, his voice filled with anger:
"Explain to me? You should apologize to the millions of citizens of Huya City right now! Do you know that there are already tens of thousands of people spontaneously gathering in front of the city hall to demonstrate?"
"This is just the beginning! You don't understand anything! All you care about are your dirty political achievements and personal gain!"
As the mayor of Toyaru City, how could he not know about some things that happen behind the scenes?
However, if these people can actually achieve some results, especially in terms of economic indicators, then he will turn a blind eye.
After all, in this era, the only measure of a city's development is its economic indicators.
But now, this matter has been exposed.
Moreover, the fact that it was exposed in such a tragic and sensational way makes it a political accident on a completely different level!
After the mayor finished speaking, he didn't give Junichi Watanabe any further chances and hung up the phone immediately.
Junichi Watanabe felt his legs go weak and he could no longer stand. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground.
"This time... it's completely over."
...
After Ryuzaki Makoto finished his passionate speech, the little girl in his arms excitedly hugged his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Mr. Ryuzaki, I believe you!"
Ryuzaki Makoto looked at her innocent smiling face and smiled gently in return.
The reporters at the scene went wild, their cameras clicking away in a flurry of shutter clicks as they frantically captured this highly symbolic and incredibly heartwarming moment.
One can imagine that tomorrow, the headlines of all the newspapers across the country will be filled with this photo that is full of hope and strength.
At that moment, an extreme sense of impending death surged through Ryuzaki Makoto's entire body like an electric current!
His pupils constricted sharply!
In the corner of his eye, an extremely tiny infrared dot flickered!
Ryuzaki Shin possesses close-range combat skills and has an extremely fast sense of danger.
However, the human body's reaction speed ultimately has its limits.
"Bang--!"
A muffled but loud gunshot rang out from a tall building in the distance.
That's clearly the sound of a heavy sniper rifle!
Amidst everyone's horrified gazes, a blinding spray of blood shot high into the air...